The Superb Green Peas Risotto is a traditional dish from the Venice lagoon. They say the original recipe comes from the Byzantine period.
For sure there are sources that on April 25th, Saint Marco day, the Doge was appreciating it.
The recipe calls for a texture that is half way between a risotto and a soup. It is not a soup. It is not a risotto. The Green Peas Risotto is firmer than a soup, and more liquid than a traditional risotto.
As you may know, there are many varieties of rice: in our hometown Vicenza, the Vialone Nano is most common for this recipe.
It combines perfectly with the green peas from a small village close by, Lumignano. Trust us.
You can look for the same green peas all over the world, but you will not find them! These are small, sweet, and the peel is so soft they melt in your mouth.
Usually, the green peas classify by their size: they can be truly small, medium, or big. They are a good source of proteins, magnesium, vitamin B, potassium, phosphor, and sodium.
April and May is the right time of the year to find in your local stores or farmers markets the fresh green peas. You can buy them in large quantities because they preserve perfectly fine in the freezer. So take advantage of the right season and enjoy their real flavor throughout the year!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (1 kg) green peas in the pods - or 1 lb (500 gr) without pods
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) white rice Vialone nano
- 1/3 cup (50 g) diced pancetta
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 2 quarts (2 l) vegetable broth (do it with the peas pods)
- 2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
- 1 shallot
- 2 Tbsp EVO
- 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Shell the peas and wash the pods. Boil the pods in 2 quarts of salty water and let it cook for 1 hour (if you don't have the peas pods, make a vegetable broth).
- Filter the broth and sieve the pods to get a purée;
- In a pan, sauté half of the butter, the EVO, the chopped shallot and the pancetta;
- Once the shallot starts browning, add the peas and let them cook for 5 minutes, then add a few spoons of broth and the parsley;
- After a few minutes, add 1 quart of broth and wait until it boils;
- Add the rice and let it cook for 15-20 minuti (it depends on the variety of rice), while keep mixing with a wooden spoon. Add some more broth when it drains too much;
- When the rice is half cooked, add the pods purée;
- Once the rice is ready, the texture has to be thicker than a soup and more liquid than a traditional risotto;
- Switch off the heat, add the other half of the butter and mix gently. Add some parmesan cheese to taste and serve!
The zero-waste cooking
Zero-waste cooking means literally have no waste left behind while cooking a meal. Try to use every single part of vegetables, fruits, meat, and whatever else may be required for your dish.
In this recipe we keep the peas pods to reinforce the vegetable broth flavor so when you eat your risotto, the green peas taste explodes!
Let’s stay in touch!
We would love hearing from you!
You can subscribe to our newsletter (and receive our free ebook!!) and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest.
If you have any questions, please contact us here or comment below.
Ciao!
Martina and Elisa
